The Bowl. 

This spot ignites a swell of memories. 

Most of them include chilly fall nights, large campfires, booze, and the legendary Carl Morrison bringing us Taco Bell in the middle of the night. These moments were the epitome of my college career. The nights where we felt carefree, full of life, like there was only the present. I recall these all vividly, but one occasion at The Bowl stands out clearly from the rest. 

It's daytime. As usual, Zach is up to something and won't tell me where we are going. Driving slowly out to the country side, we pull over to the side of the road. I immediately recognize the place, even though we never come out here during the day. The Bowl. Zach grabs a backpack and reaches for my hand, leading me the way. We take the hard way up the dune, like everyone should. The air hits my face as we summit the top and the view kills me...every damn time. Racing down the other face of the dune, we fly towards the lake, heels kicking up sand. We sit down as Zach reaches into his backpack to pull out sandwiches, a bottle of wine, and my favorite candy. I'm thinking of how cute he is, how he always likes to surprise me, and how these precious occurrences are how I want to spend the rest of my life. With a smile on his face, he tells me to close my eyes. I hear him reach into his backpack once again, then move behind me. Gently, he pulls my hair back and secures a necklace around my neck. Whispering in my ear he says, "I love you." It was the first time he had spoken those three words. It would be the first of many. 

To celebrate our two year wedding anniversary, Zach and I headed back to that spot. We ran thru the Saugatuck dunes and recollected the grueling workouts we did there in years past. We hiked up to The Bowl, then ran to the lake. All to remember that day, to remember how it all began. 

Happy Anniversary my love.